In a communication network, such as a cellular communication network, local parameter settings of one communication node oftentimes influence the selection of local parameters of neighboring communication nodes in the communication network. For instance, it is sometimes necessary for each base station in a cellular communication network to select a set of parameters that is uniquely distinguishable from those selected by its neighboring base stations (i.e., base stations that serve neighboring cells in the cellular communication network). Take downlink transmission for example, each base station needs to transmit a locally unique Reference Signal (RS) for User Equipments (UEs) to identify the base station and to synchronize to the downlink transmission from the base station. The set of available reference signals is limited, and each base station needs to select (or be assigned) a reference signal that is different from the reference signals of its neighboring base stations. As another example, each base station may select (or be assigned) one of several frequency bands for transmission. If the same frequency band is only reused by other base stations serving cells that are far away, inter-cell interference can be significantly reduced. This is the classical frequency planning commonly practiced in second generation networks such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) networks. There are also occasions when each base station may need to set a value to a parameter, such as transmit power, in such a way that the setting is compatible with those of the neighboring base stations in order to achieve a certain notion of optimality of the entire cellular communication network. These are just some typical problems encountered in the design of a cellular communication network in which a local parameter setting influences and is influenced by the settings of the neighboring cells.
Some of these problems, such as RS and frequency reuse, are typically static in nature and can therefore be solved by advanced planning during the build out of the cellular communication network. Currently, the parameters are set by planning tools that have access to information such as base station locations and radio propagation characteristics. Once a solution that is optimal network-wise is found, it remains unchanged for a long time until the deployment changes. However, other problems, such as transmit power control, are more dynamic in nature and require more frequent updates as the channel conditions vary. Methods that allow base stations to dynamically adjust their choice of parameters are therefore quite desirable.
Recently, there have been new applications in which the setting of conventional long-term parameters, such as frequency and RS reuse, also needs to adapt to short term changes and there is no central controller to oversee the update of the parameters. For example, in device-to-device communication, the UE locations change over time. Moreover, arrival and departure of devices also alter the system topology, and thus neighboring relationships, dynamically at a very fast pace. If the same RS selection or frequency reuse setting is to be performed in such distributed network, a distributed mechanism must be employed.
As such, there is a need for systems and methods for distributed parameter coordination in a communication network, such as a cellular communication network.